Lucknow: Sudhar Utsavs will be held in all gram sabhas on Oct 2 to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.The festival will allow each panchayat to decide the course of its village’s development while deliberating on issues related to 11 departments, like employment, water conservation, sanitation and women empowerment.Among specific issues that the panchayats will discuss will be Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), turning Lakhpati Didis into ‘Crorepati Didis’, safe drinking water, consumer rights, cooperatives, child marriage and a drug-free society.“Not only will the gram sabhas share information about govt schemes with residents but also serve as a platform to identify a village’s needs and shortcomings and set development priorities,” said a govt spokesperson.Elaborating on the expected discussions and activities, the official said that the gram sabha will decide which works will get taken up first under VB-G RAM G scheme.Deliberations will also be held on empowering women and providing them with job avenues so that under National Rural Livelihoods Mission, they can progress from Lakhpati Didis, those whose household income is Rs 1 lakh or more per year, to Crorepati Didis. This will mean supporting women in starting enterprises and connecting them with markets through initiatives such as SHE-MARTs.Gram Panchayats will review sources of water and problems in supply and maintenance. They will also discuss solid and liquid waste management, in addition to identifying ponds which need restoration.Amit Kumar Singh, director of Panchayati Raj department, said that under Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, gram panchayats are preparing Gram Panchayat development plans and uploading them on eGramSwaraj portal.Ministry of social justice and empowerment’s Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan will also be taken up by the Gram Sabhas. Discussions will look at protecting children and youth from drugs, identifying early indications of drug abuse and involving families and communities with counselling, treatment and rehabilitation.
